Samrat Rana Creates History: Becomes India's First World Champion in the 10m Air Pistol

New Delhi: Creating new history in Indian shooting, Samrat Rana won the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Championships in Cairo. With this achievement, Rana became India's first World Champion. Notably, this is the same event that is also included in the Olympic Games.

How did India win the team gold medal?

Thanks to Samrat Rana's impressive performance, India also won the gold medal in the team event. Rana scored 243.7 points in the final, narrowly defeating China's Hu Kai (243.3). India's Varun Tomar also performed brilliantly, winning the bronze medal with a score of 221.7. This marked the first time two Indian athletes stood together on the podium in the same event—a historic moment in itself.

What did Rana say about his victory?

After making history, Samrat Rana said emotionally, "I still can't believe it. Cairo has always been special to me. I won two medals here at the Junior World Championships in 2022. This time, I just focused on my technique and kept myself calm after each shot." This humility and focus proved to be the key to his victory.

How did India dominate the team event?

India's performance in the team event was excellent. Thanks to the stellar performances of Rana (586), Varun Tomar (586), and Shravan Kumar (582), India scored a total of 1754 points. With this score, India surpassed Italy (silver) and Germany (bronze). Shravan finished 12th in the individual event, but the team's performance was golden.

How was India's performance in the women's event?

India's Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh made a strong start in the women's 10m air pistol event, but a minor error in the final round kept them out of the podium. Manu Bhaker slipped to seventh place after the 14th shot, while Esha Singh remained in sixth. Nevertheless, the Indian women's team gave the country another reason to be proud by winning the silver medal in the team event.

How did the women's team win the silver medal?

The combined performance of Esha (583), Manu (580), and world number one Suruchi Inder Singh (577) gave India second place with 1740 points. Although they didn't win gold, the silver medal proves that Indian women shooters have also established themselves on the world stage.

Why is this victory special for India?

The 10m air pistol event is part of the Olympic Games, and Samrat Rana's victory brings great confidence to India ahead of the Olympics. Two Indian shooters finishing on the podium in the same event signals the country's growing strength and continued improvement in shooting. What Samrat Rana achieved in Cairo was not just a gold medal, but a new direction for Indian shooting. His focus, simplicity, and confidence will further elevate India's hopes for the upcoming Olympics.